Hawaii governor signs housing legislation aimed at helping local residents stay in islands. Solving Hawaii’s housing crisis by building more units. Keeping local families in Hawaii is what Governor Josh Green hopes will happen after he signed new affordable housing legislation into law on Tuesday. Senate Bill 3202: Requires counties to adopt or amend ordinances by December 31, 2026, to allow for at least two accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on all residentially zoned lots. KHON2. KITV4. Star-Advertiser. Hawaiʻi Health Department’s new Respiratory Disease Dashboard shows increasing COVID-19 ac ..read more

Maui County’s Move Against Vacation Rentals Likely To Bog Down In Court. tempts by Maui County to convert short-term vacation units into long-term rentals will be confronted by a lawsuit, according to the Honolulu attorney who plans to file it. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said that legal action was likely when he announced the bill that would change the zoning designation of over 7,000 short-term units, a move intended to open up more long-term rentals.   Civil Beat. Green: Hawaii Should Consider Liquefied Natural Gas As A ‘Bridge’ To 100% Renewable Energy. Liquefied natural gas must ..read more

Condo Owners Are Starting To Feel The Pain From Rising Insurance Costs. Gov. Josh Green has created an advisory team to work on ways to stabilize the market which has been battered by climate-related catastrophes. Civil Beat. KHON2. Scientists predict climate change will bring more infectious disease to Hawaiʻi .  As human-driven actions change the climate, they're also changing the landscape for infectious diseases. Health officials are grappling with what that means for Hawaiʻi. Hawaii Public Radio. Schatz, Tokuda seek higher Medicare reimbursements for Hawaii physicians. U.S. Sen. B ..read more

Ethics Commission to reintroduce 2 bills to improve transparency.  The executive director of the state Ethics Commission plans to again push for two bills in the next legislative session designed to provide greater transparency about relationships between lawmakers and lobbyists. Star-Advertiser. Hawaiian Electric Shareholders Overwhelmingly Supported Exec Pay Raises In 2023. Hawaiian Electric Industries investors saw their stock’s value plummet, their dividends disappear and the once-credit worthy company’s bond rating cut to junk status in 2023. But that didn’t stop the investors from ..read more

Rosy U.S. summer travel forecast excludes Hawaii. U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials say they are preparing for the highest passenger volumes ever seen at airport security checkpoints nationwide during the peak summer travel season, which begins Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day. Jack Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, said summer bookings to Hawaii are still down 28% from 2023. Keith Vieira, principal of KV &Associates, Hospitality Consulting, estimates that hotel bookings to Hawaii for summer are down about 10% to 12% compared with last su ..read more

Hawaii Governor May Nix Plan To Put More Money Into The State Rainy Day Fund. Green says the state cannot afford to put another $300 million into the budget reserve fund, which already has about $1.5 billion. Civil Beat. Concerns rise for low-income families over Legislature's recent tax cut measure. Most Hawaiʻi residents will likely see lower income taxes next year due to a measure recently passed by the state Legislature. Hawaii Public Radio. Keeping peace is crucial, officer declares at LANPAC.  The Association of the U.S. Army kicked off its annual Land Power in the Pacific Sympos ..read more

Hawaii Lawmakers Spent Big On Public Schools This Year. State lawmakers gave the Hawaii Department of Education an infusion of almost $750 million during the recent legislative session to support school facilities, professional development for teachers, student mental health and other initiatives. Civil Beat. Personal income in Hawaii might contract this year.  The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization expects Hawaii’s real personal income will slow below 1% this year and that real gross domestic product will drop from 3.6% growth in 2023 to 1.5%.  Star-Advertiser. Ka ..read more

Attorney General Anne Lopez serving as acting governor.  Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke served as acting governor from the evening of May 4 through Tuesday evening when Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez is serving as acting governor from the evening of May 7 until Gov. Josh Green’s return May 9.  Green has been in California since May 4 to attend the Milken Institute Global Conference. Maui News. Deadline effectively set for Justice Department to decide on Alaska-Hawaiian deal. The DOJ said it would decide within 90 days of the two airlines declaring substantial compliance with the DOJ's ..read more

Hawaii’s ‘historic’ 2024 legislative session comes to a close. Hawaii lawmakers wrapped up the 32nd biennial legislative session Friday in largely ceremonial fashion that included a traditional display of unity, but also cast final votes on a few momentous bills. Star-Advertiser.  Big Island Now. Legislative session began amid uncertainty, ended with relief for Maui and taxpayers. The Hawaii legislative session began Jan. 17 clouded in unknowns over how much money would be available overall, how much could be spent to help Maui recover from the Aug. 8 wildfires, and concerns that lawmak ..read more

$1B is pledged for undersea internet cables. The Pacific Connect Initiative will create new fiber links between Hawaii and other Pacific regions. Civil Beat. Tribune-Herald.  Big Island Now. Lawmakers Rejected A Bill To Bail Out HECO. Now What?  Hawaiian Electric Co. is seeking expedited regulatory approval to sell utility assets to obtain a $250 million line of credit to improve its financial stability.  Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaiian Electric readies plan for cutting power during wildfire risks. Hawaiian Electric Co. is preparing to roll out its plan for proactiv ..read more